Or thinking about moving. Or planning to move. Soon. Your dog, of course, has no idea what cataclysm you are about to inflict on his safe, routine little life. This is tumult of the most alarming kind, in his humble view. He notices that you are distracted. You neglect to walk him. You let him […]
[Read More]

I love those medical websites like WebMD.com and MayoClinic.com, the ones that have a “check your symptoms” feature. You click on the part of the body that hurts, and through a series of questions, an algorithm tells you some possible diagnoses, and what to do about them. Many of the results are adamant in their […]
[Read More]

Dallas and Laredo are two male un-neutered Shih Tzus, nicely groomed, well fed, healthy, and old enough to know better. Though not related to each other, “the boys” are similar in many ways. They both know that sitting gets them a treat, a pet or a meal. They have the exact same toys – their […]
[Read More]

Syracuse alumni will recognize the title phrases; some dog owners get the same vibe from their dogs when they return home after a trip and receive the proverbial cold shoulder from their pets. Yes, many dogs are delighted to welcome back their human companions. They spin in frenetic circles, they leap and lick and woof […]
[Read More]

June 10 – 17, 2012 is Pet Appreciation Week. I KNOW that you appreciate your dog every single day. So do I. In honor of this celebration, I’d like to talk about separation anxiety. Nearly 15 percent of dogs suffer from this condition when their owners leave the house. I’ve talked about this behavioral issue […]
[Read More]

Magicians were once considered the height of entertainment, but since Siegfried and Roy‘s illusions resulted in an unexpected necessity for plastic surgery, they seem to have fallen out of favor at the moment. Back in the day though, certain ones became household names – like Harry Houdini. He is pretty much relegated now to the […]
[Read More]

Fox Terrier Chesney loves his crate so much he will challenge you to a doggie duel over it. If his owners walk past him while he is in the crate, he will lift his head slightly and emit a low, ominous growl. McBride, a hound mix, hates the crate with such abject misery that he […]
[Read More]

Go to any pet supply store and you will find an increasingly confusing array of remedies for dog anxiety. Dogs that flip out during thunderstorms, dogs that shred doors when their owners leave them, dogs that pace nervously when visitors come, dogs that whine and tremble in the car – our dogs have some issues […]
[Read More]

Jacey lives on the third floor of an apartment building in downtown Albany. Jacey is a five year old Labrador mix that sorta kinda looks like Marley but with more ear and less tail. Jacey used to live downstate with her owner in a house with a yard, but they had to rent an apartment […]
[Read More]

Black Lab Petey had a great summer. All three kids were home, running inside and out, playing in the backyard, jumping in the pool, dropping the occasional potato chip on the ground. No worries. Petey’s on clean-up detail. Someone was there nearly all the time to let Petey out into the yard, take him for a […]
[Read More]